Dinner time is where I make sure I "get my greens in." Every night, you are bound to find at least one form of vegetable on my plate. My go-to side, that I never get sick of is a medley of green beans and mushrooms. It sounds fancy and expensive, but it's cheap and easy as 1, 2, 3. With Summer in full swing, this is the perfect side dish to serve at parties or offer to bring when someone else is hosting. It's quick and easy, and cost efficient! I'm all about saving money so I use frozen french cut green beans (99 cents a bag at the wonderful Wegmans) and buy mushrooms for 1.99 or even cheaper, if they're on sale at Aldi's (A no frills grocery store that typically has lower prices than the average grocery store)

BEFORE EVEN READING THE RECIPE DECIDE: One pan or two? Depending on how spirited I'm feeling, I decide if I will use one or two pans.Two Pans: Cook the mushrooms and green beans separately to ensure the green beans get as crispy as possible then combine the two for a few final minutes to cook together One Pan: Cook them together in one pan, adding the green beans in after, since the mushrooms will take longer to soften and cookBoth methods work well, just depends on how crispy you like your green beans!

Green Beans & Mushroom Saute1. Wash and clean the mushrooms, slice 2. Pour oil into a skillet, add mushrooms and start cooking on medium heat3. Microwave green beans for 2-3 minutes, DO NOT ADD WATER4. Drain any excess water from green beans5. Continue to cook mushrooms, continuously stirring until they become darker in color and absorb the oil6. Pick one or two pan method:Two Pans - Add the green beans to a skillet with a small amount of oil and cook on medium heat stirring every so often, add a hint of salt and pepperOne Pan - Add green beans to the mushroom pan with salt and pepper to taste, continuing to cook on medium heat, while stirring every so often7. Continue to cook until:a)your green beans reached desired crispiness, then combine with mushrooms for a final few minutes to combine the flavorsORb)until the green beans are warm enough to eat

Serve up with your main course as a tasty side dish that looks a lot fancier than it actually is!

These were cooked with the one pan method, note how the green beans are not crispy. This is because my family does not like crispy green beans, but these were too beautiful to not photograph! And they were still delicious, just lacking that crispiness I crave!

I kid you not, I will NOT live somewhere where I cannot shop at a Wegmans, I'm serious. Their labeling system is ON POINT, but now the FDA labeling is going to change some things, so be on the lookout!

One of the speakers at the New England Celiac Conference this year was a Wegmans rep who talked all about labeling. :)

Also, in New England they put in a new Wegmans within a half hour of us, but the traffic is so bad that we drive to the one an hour away because it takes less time (honestly). So, we only frequent Wegmans once a month at the most, so even that might be too far away for you too!

uhm OF COURSE! I didn't even know they made frozen mushrooms, but I would opt for the two skillet method then, since frozen mushrooms will probably create a lot of liquid you will have to drain prior to mixing the two! Let me know if you make it :)